NGO watchdog Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) has filed a complaint with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) against M/s. The Vizagapatnam Diocesan Corporation Pvt Ltd, alleging multiple violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). The complaint, which is addressed to the Joint Secretary of the FCRA Division and copied to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, raises concerns about the improper handling of foreign contributions by the organization.
According to LRPF, Vizagapatnam Diocesan Corporation, an NGO registered under the FCRA with FC Registration No: 010350009, acquired a 4,840-square-yard land parcel in Mallayapalem, Visakhapatnam, in 1997 using foreign funds. LRPF states that while the property, currently valued at ₹10.64 crore, was purchased with foreign donations, it has remained unused for over three decades. The forum alleges that the NGO failed to disclose this property acquisition to the MHA in its required FC-4 filings, which detail foreign contributions under the FCRA.
In its complaint, LRPF further claims that Vizagapatnam Diocesan Corporation transferred this land in November 2022 to another NGO, the Society of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod, as a “gift deed” at no cost. This action, LRPF contends, violates Section 7 of the FCRA, which prohibits the transfer of foreign-funded assets to other organizations.
Describing the alleged violations as disrespectful toward Indian regulations, LRPF has urged the MHA to revoke the NGO’s FCRA registration and has requested that the District Collector of Visakhapatnam take possession of the land in question. The Ministry of Home Affairs and Vizagapatnam Diocesan Corporation have not yet issued statements on the complaint.
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